1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to slide rule calculators, and more particularly, to a slide rule estimator having a pocket type cover and an insert card which allows for estimation of estate and gift tax corresponding to one's taxable assets for a broad range of asset figures.
Slide rule calculators having an insert card enclosed within a pocket type cover employing several windows for viewing numbers or calculations are well known in the art. These devices generally are bulky and inconvenient to carry due to their size. Moreover, they generally tend to calculate rather than estimate various figures ranging from taxes to personal data such as assets and net worth, requiring a large amount of comparative data necessary to provide accurate calculations, which consequently leads to a large and bulky calculator. Alternatively, smaller calculators may be available, but will have too large a range between calculations to accomodate the small size. Many of these devices employ one or more insert cards, or in an effort to reduce the size of the device employ a print font of a very small size, which often proves difficult to read. Many are single-sided, and those that are double-sided, generally require the insert card to correspond to one particular side of the calculator. Inserting the card in a backwards position, would result in inaccurate calculations, or inserting in an upside down position would result in the numbers failing to line up with their corresponding windows, making the device useless.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the prior art, various types of slide rule calculators are disclosed, which reflect the various types of data to be calculated. These various devices, however, are subject to several disadvantages which, in many cases, inconvenience the user, and in some cases, require careful and specialized reading of the data to be calculated, since the device carries highly specialized numerical data.
Rees, U.S. Patent No. 4,324,975, discloses a hand held calculating device for calculating federal income taxes and various other tax information. The device comprises two sides secured together with a pocket therebetween, and each side is provided with a plurality of windows for calculating various tax numbers. An insert card is provided which slides up and down to reveal various numbers corresponding to various tax calculations. This device however, is a complicated device requiring precise input data to calculate the correct tax. In addition, the insert card must be properly fitted into the slot between the two outer layers and the card must be aligned with the proper side facing in a proper direction since the windows do not line up from one side to the other. Consequently, putting the insert card in backwards would either result in the numbers being only partially revealed, or worse, the calculation would be incorrect.
Murphy, U.S. Patent No. 3,933,305, discloses an asset value calculator, which comprises a two layer hand held calculator having a number of insert strips which are housed in the pocket between the two layers. Various windows are provided on one side of the outer layer, such that the strips align themselves with each other inside the pocket, and data along the bottom edge of one corresponds to data on the top edge of another. This device suffers similar disadvantages to the Rees device, as described above, and it is apparent that misaligning the insert strips will present inaccurate data, and presenting the wrong side of an insert strip at a window will reveal no data.
Bromberg, U.S. Patent No. 4,132,348, discloses a slide calculator having a single sheet construction which is detachable from itself and reassembled by a user to form a pocket and insert card. The piece forming the pocket part comprises a foldable sheet such that two sides are formed with a large window and a small window on each side. The second piece is foldable to form the insert card which is provided with a plurality of numbers on either side. The insert card is placed between the two sides of the pocket part, but must be placed in a specific configuration so that the numbers align with the windows. It is apparent that this device also suffers from the disadvantage that if the insert card is improperly positioned, the numerical data will either be inaccurate or will not be revealed to the user.
The novel slide estimator pursuant to the present invention obviates the disadvantage of the prior art and provides an accurate and easy-to-use tax estimator which eliminates the risk of inaccurate or incorrect calculation of the numerical data through the estimation of data, rather than precise calculation. A range of taxable asset levels are provided with the corresponding tax level, which is an accurate calculated tax for that particular asset. The device of the present invention allows for the accurate and fast estimation of taxes between asset levels provided for on the device.
The device has two sides forming a pocket with each side having at least two windows located an equal distance from each side edge that forms a length side of the device. The windows on the front side correspond in location to the windows on the back side and also correspond in size. An insert card is provided with columns of numbers on the front and on the back which correspond to the number of windows provided on the respective sides of the pocket part. The columns on the front also correspond in location to the columns of numbers on the back, thereby allowing the card to be inserted in any manner so that the numbers always align with the windows and are easily read by a user. The columns of numbers on the insert card always align with the windows on the front and back of the device so that the numerical data may always be accurately estimated regardless of how the insert card is positioned in the pocket part.